The lawmaker described the beheading of Oyedokun in the Oyo State school abductions while in captivity as a horrific act that underscores the urgent need for stronger security measures
The House of Representatives on Tuesday renewed calls for the establishment of state police across Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to expedite reforms aimed at decentralising the country’s security architecture in response to worsening insecurity and recurring kidnappings.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Ayodeji Alao-Akala, who represents Ogbomosho North/Ogbomosho South/Orire Federal Constituency of Oyo State.
Presenting the motion, Alao-Akala lamented the wave of violent attacks in Ogbomosho and Orire local government areas, particularly the abduction of schoolchildren and the killing of a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, by suspected bandits.
He recalled that armed gunmen invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and LEA Primary School on May 16, 2025, abducting more than 30 pupils and teachers.
“The House notes with a heavy and grieving heart the unrelenting siege upon the people of Ogbomoso and Orire Local Government Areas of Oyo State,” he said.
“The attack reached its most harrowing depths on the morning of May 16, 2025, when armed bandits descended upon three schools and dragged more than 30 children and their teachers into the forest. The terrified parents could only watch and weep.”
The lawmaker described the killing of Oyedokun while in captivity as a horrific act that underscores the urgent need for stronger security measures.
“The House is deeply disturbed by the barbaric execution of Mr Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher, who was beheaded in captivity by his abductors. It is a savage act that has shocked the conscience of our nation and demands an immediate and decisive response from every arm of government,” he said.
According to him, several victims remain in captivity, leaving their families in anguish.
“Every passing hour of their captivity is an hour of unbearable agony for families who do not know whether their loved ones are alive or dead,” he added.
While acknowledging the deployment of 1,000 forest guards to the area, Alao-Akala insisted that stronger and more proactive measures were required to stem the tide of insecurity.
“These measures must be expedited as we no longer want sympathy after the fact. We want to stop burying our children,” he stated.
He further warned that the Old Oyo National Park and adjoining forests had become safe havens for criminal groups due to their vast and difficult terrain, as well as their links to interstate and international routes.
“We are alarmed that the Old Oyo National Park and its surrounding forests are a vast, ungoverned wilderness straddling the border with Kwara State and opening onto international routes. It has become a hidden highway through which these killers move freely, making the Orire axis the gateway through which terror is creeping into the heart of the South-West,” he said.
Alao-Akala reminded lawmakers that the House had previously endorsed recommendations advocating state police, local government policing units, decentralised courts and integrated intelligence systems as part of broader security reforms.
He warned that continued delays in implementing those measures would leave communities exposed to further attacks.
Supporting the motion, Rep. Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency of Osun State, expressed concern over the increasing targeting of schools by criminal groups.
“The abduction of school children, which started with the kidnapping of the Chibok girls a few years ago, is becoming a trend. One of the keys to liberating a people is education, and if that key is in the hands of killers, then there is a problem,” Rep. Salam said.
He urged leaders to treat the matter with urgency, noting that children from poorer families who attend public schools were increasingly vulnerable.
“Most of the children of leaders attend private schools, some outside the country. The children of the poor attend public schools, but we cannot close our eyes to their plight,” he said.
Salam also called on the Federal Government to establish a specialised security force dedicated to protecting schools nationwide.
“I disagree with those who say we cannot protect all schools. The government can do this,” he added.
Also contributing to the debate, Rep. Benedict Etanabene, representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State, described insecurity as a national crisis requiring immediate action.
“The stories are not good anywhere. From the North to the South, Nigerians are living in fear for their lives and property. We cannot keep procrastinating over state policing. It is not good to keep politicising insecurity,” he said.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of all students and teachers still being held by their abductors.
Lawmakers also called for the establishment of a permanent Forward Operating Base in Orire Local Government Area to strengthen security operations around the Old Oyo National Park and neighbouring communities.
The House further urged both the Executive and Legislative arms of government to fast-track the implementation of resolutions aimed at decentralising policing and enhancing security across the country.
